The use of weapon mounting systems to protect, support, and stabilize weapons and firearms is known. Weapon mounts are typically designed to mount a specific firearm to a vehicle or ground-based stabilizing support structure for a specific application. Among them are the group of heavy-duty armored recoil-reducing weapon mounts (known as “soft mounts” and “buffered mounts”) with integral shock absorbing systems designed to reduce recoil and increase hit probability. However, such mounts are too large and heavy to be easily or quickly moved between support structures, particularly during fluid combat engagements, and can be rendered inoperable by the failure or destruction of various component mechanisms. By contrast, the group of non-recoil reducing gun mounts known as “hard mounts” and “bufferless mounts” are minimalist in design, relatively lightweight, and are less susceptible to failure. Though more compact and easier to quickly reposition between support structures than recoil reducing weapon mounts, non-recoil reducing weapon mounts must be deployed behind natural or artificial obstacles if the operator is to be protected from enemy fire because hard mounts are incapable of mounting and supporting a shield or other protective armor, which dramatically limits their operational capabilities.
Accordingly, what is needed are improvements in weapon mounts and mounting assemblies for firearms.